Shinnecock Bay, also known as Shinnecock Inlet, is a rich and productive environment that is 3642 hectares in size and composed of several habitats, such as salt marshes and tidal flats. Similar to the Long Island Sound, it is also an estuary, which is a place where fresh water and salt water meet and mix. Within the deep waters, there are sandy shoals and eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds that serve as shelter to approximately 141 different species dwelling within the bay. A study conducted by the Marine Science Station of Long Island University found that out of those 141 different species found, 20 are annually present while 21 are considered abundant; many of these wildlife resources, such as the peregrine falcon, roseate tern and the finback whale, are considered threatened or endangegred. There is plenty of vegetation in Shinnecock Bay. Some plants found there are cordgrasses (specifically, Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens), American beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata), beach plum (Prunus maritima), bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica), sweet gale (Myrica gale), poison ivy (Toxicondendron radicans) and beach heather (Hudsoniatomentosa). Not only does Shinnecock Bay contain many plant species, Shinnecock Bay also serves as a home to various species of fish, shellfish and birds. Animals, such as bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), winter flounder (Pleuronectes americanus), blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), scup, weakfish, clearnose skate, Atlantic sturgeon, American eel, summer flounder, blueback herring, bay anchovy, naked goby, rainbow smelt, white perch, striped bass, brown trout, norther kingfish and tomcod can live in Shinnecock Bay and feed on its plant resources. Shinnecock Bay also consists of soft clam (Mya arenaria), northern quahog (Mercenaria mercenaria), bay scallop (Argopecten irradians), and blue mussel (Mytilus edulis). Some reptiles living in Shinnecock Bay are the loggerhead sea turtle, the green sea turtle and northern diamondback terrapin. Though there are many animals that live in Shinnecock Bay for their entire lifetime, there are also several animals that migrate to the area during the growing season, usually from April to November. From November to March, animals, such as the American black duck (Anasrubripes), brant (Branta bernicla), and mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), come to feed on the wildlife species in Shinnecock Bay. Gulls and birds can also come to Shinnecock Bay to create nests, using the materials that the salt marsh can provide. Shinnecock Bay is also an important region for migrating and wintering waterfowl. From December to early May, harbor seals and gray seals feed on the fishery resources of the bay. Thus, Shinnecock Bay serves as a home for many organisms as well as a place where these organisms can obtain food resources.
Source: “Shinnecock Bay.” Shinnecock Bay. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, n.d. Web. 01 May. 2014. http://nctc.fws.gov/resources/knowledge-resources/pubs5/web_link/text/sb_form.htm.
Invertebrates – Bay scallop, Eastern oyster, Soft-Shell Clam, Northern Quahog
Crustacea – Blue Crab, American Lobster, Horseshoe Crab
Fish – Clear nose Skate, Atlantic Sturgeon, American Eel, Summer Flounder, Blueback Erring, Bay Anchovy, Naked Goby, Rainbow Smelt, White Perch, Striped Bass, Brown Trout, Northern Kingfish
Reptiles – Loggerhead Sea Turtle (rare), Green Sea Turtle (rare), Northern Diamondback Terrapin
Birds – Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Canada Goose, Glossy Ibis, Mallard, Old Squaw, Cooper’s Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, Common Tern, Seaside Sparrow
Mammals – Minke Whale, Finback Whale (in danger of extinction), Northern Rite Whale (in danger of extinction), Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Harbor Seal, Grey Seal